title: Hip fracture risk and cadmium in erythrocytes: a nested case-control study with prospectively collected samples.
abstract: Several studies have investigated the relation between bone mass density and cadmium exposure, but only few studies have been performed on fractures and biomarkers of cadmium. This study analyzed the association between hip fracture risk and cadmium in erythrocytes (Ery-Cd). Prospective samples from the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study's biobank were used for 109 individuals who later in life had sustained a low-trauma hip fracture, matched with two controls of the same age and gender. The mean concentration of Ery-Cd (±SD) in case samples was 1.3 ± 1.4 versus 0.9 ± 1.0 μg/L in controls. The odds ratio (OR) was 1.63 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-2.42] for suffering a hip fracture for each microgram per liter increase in Ery-Cd. However, when taking smoking into consideration (never, former, or current), neither Ery-Cd nor smoking showed a statistically significant increase in fracture risk. Using multiple conditional logistic regression with BMI, height, and smoking, the estimated OR for a 1-μg/L increase in Ery-Cd was 1.52 (95% CI 0.77-2.97). Subgroup analysis showed an increased fracture risk among women (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.18-3.20, for a 1 μg/L increase), which also remained in the multiple analysis (OR = 3.33, 95% CI 1.29-8.56). This study shows that fracture risk is associated with Ery-Cd. It is, however, not possible to draw firm conclusions on whether cadmium is the causal factor or whether other smoking-related factors cause this association. Subgroup analysis shows that cadmium is a risk factor for hip fracture among women.
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden, johan.n.sommar@envmed.umu.se.
authors.forename: Johan Nilsson
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Sommar
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pettersson-Kymmer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lundh
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hallmans
authors.forename: Ingvar A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Bergdahl
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium